A Little Bit Of Tenderness
by Chelsea Oz
Summary: One shot. Takes place right after "Little Sister Don't Cha?" in season 2. Sam brings Diane along for a surprise trip to see Carla and her new baby on their last night in the hospital.


"Does Carla know I'm coming?"

I could tell by the look on Sam's face that he didn't. I slump back into the Corvette passenger seat and sigh loudly. Sam wanted to stop by the hospital to see Carla before they discharged her tomorrow morning and he told me that I should accompany him. I should have known better than to say yes right away.

"She's doesn't, does she?" I ask, raising my voice.

"Sweetheart," Sam says with a look of grimace. "What does it matter? She doesn't even know that I'm coming; this is going to be a surprise."

"Sam Malone," I say with a scowl. "You know darn well that seeing me won't be a happy surprise to Carla. A beefcake biker with a beard and tattoos, yes, but certainly not me!"

All he could do was laugh at what I had said. I crossed my arms and scowled some more; this was not funny to me. We had to stop at a red light and that's when Sam put his arm around me, still laughing.

"You just think you are hilarious, don't you?"

"I think it's you that's hilarious right now."

"Me?!" I exclaim, nearly jumping out of my seatbelt. "I beg your pardon but I don't like the fact that I've been tricked into going to visit someone that I know doesn't care to see me."

"Hey," he says as the light turns green and he puts his foot on the gas again. "I didn't trick you into doing anything! I asked you to come with me and you said yes."

"Only because I thought I was invited which I clearly wasn't."

"Sweetheart," Sam says as we pull into the hospital parking lot. There was no going back now. "If I didn't think it was a good idea for you to come here, I wouldn't have asked. Besides, do you think Carla is going to jump out of bed and choke you with her call bell or something?"

"Don't put any ideas out into the universe for her, Sam."

Sam started laughing again and I could feel my blood really begin to boil. I'm so infuriated that I could cry. I could barely look at Sam as he shuts the driver door and gets out. How could the most unintelligent man I have ever had the pleasure of sleeping with make me feel like the biggest imbecile? Trying to be a gentleman, he opened my door for me to get out but by that time I had already shed a couple of hot tears. It was not only from my anger but from the feeling of humiliation.

"Hey," he said with such tenderness I could have cried at that, too. He began to rub my belly and it felt so comforting. "It's okay, sweetheart. Don't cry."

"It's just I know what Carla thinks of me, Sam," I explained as I wiped my eyes. "I don't feel welcomed by her."

"Hey, I'm going with you. I want you to be by my side through things, okay? Once she understands that, I know she'll warm up to you."

"I hope you're not giving yourself false hope, Sam," I reply with a meek smile. My smile helps him to smile and he gives me a kiss. I finally find the strength to unbuckle my seatbelt and once I'm out of the car, Sam wraps his arm around me again.

We were silent walking into the hospital except for when Sam asked the receptionist what room number Carla had. As we walked along to the elevators, I noticed people staring at Sam and I with sincere smiles. I realized that Sam's arm never left my shoulder and I beamed all the way onto the elevator. Once the door closed, I kissed his cheek and he kissed mine back. I laid my head on his chest as he began to rub my cheek with the hand that was attached to his arm still around me. He's got a way about him, no doubt. Our embrace ended all too soon and we were on the second floor with Carla's room not being far from the elevator entrance.

"Who is it?" Carla beckoned.

"Sam and Diane!" Sam yelled back.

"Diane?! You brought Diane?"

"Hey, now," Sam said as I cringed. Sam put his arm around me again, then. "Diane would like to see you, you know. If Diane had a baby, I'm sure she would want to see you."

"She would?"

"Yes," I say, finally finding my voice. "I would be honored to have you visit me if the day were to ever come."

"All right," Carla gruffed. "Come on in."

Everything about her room was so faded and drab that I cringed again. I would not want to bring a baby into a room so depleted as this one. Then again I know Carla doesn't have a lot of money so this is probably the only kind of hospital she can afford to stay in. Poor woman. I watched as Sam walked over to her to give her a hug and a kiss. It makes me smile; Carla is his friend and I want them to continue to be that way.

"Thanks for coming, Sammy," she said with a smile.

"My pleasure," he said.

"Thank you, too, Diane," Carla said without any nudging from Sam to say so.

"Hey, it's my pleasure as well, Carla."

"Well, go see the baby, why don't yous? Don't waste your time with little old me. There's nothing new for me to tell!"

"Okay," Sam laughed as he kissed Carla's cheek again and headed out the door. I looked back at Carla one last time before I followed him out and I noticed she winked at me. I winked back at her and flashed her a smile as I closed the door. Sam was right all along and I was very content in this moment.

I met up with Sam at the nursery room. Sam pointed her out to me and I gushed at the beautiful baby before me. I could see from her incubator that her name was Lucia Tortelli and I thought it pretty. Lucia had dark ringlettes, just like her mother and she also had her mother's nose.

"She's precious," I whispered.

"I think so," Sam said as he put his hand on my back. "Have you ever thought about being a mother?"

"Yes," I replied. "I have."

"I bet you would be a good one."

"Thank you."

It was my turn to wrap my arm around him now. We may have only been seeing each other for a few weeks but being with him feels like coming home.


End file.
